September 27th, 2017
During my time writing for the High Plains Reader I have had the opportunity to discover (and hopefully draw attention to) the fact that we have no shortage of musical talent in the area.
No matter the genre, there are some talented representatives of it somewhere in town. And of course, there’s bound to be some creative overlap between musicians as well as friends.
So perhaps it was something akin to fate, or at least happy coincidence, that led me to interview the Wicked Bees several…
September 27th, 2017
“You’re from Fargo so you must know Kipp G”
This was the first thing that rapper Benjamin Laub -- better known as Grieves -- said to me when we started this interview.
He has been to Fargo a handful of times over the last 10 years, a place that he says is very sentimental to him. “It was one of the first places I started going on tour,” he said.
He will make his next stop this Monday, October 2nd at The Aquarium supporting his awesome new record, “Running Wild.”
The first…
September 27th, 2017
In 2010, local hero Andrea Anderson and I went to the House of Blues in L.A. with a couple of friends. We were told we were seeing a “joke metal band.”
My most vivid memory of that night was being enraged at PBR being $10 per can; second to that was laughing my ass off in between bursts of this “joke” band nailing Van Halen, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs like they’d written the songs themselves.
My memory gets fuzzy after that. But I sort of remember two shirtless women…
September 20th, 2017
Fall is arriving, and that of course means that the new season of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra’s “Masterworks” series sponsored by Sanford Health is right around the corner.
In the last couple concert seasons they have performed some truly gala events, with many universally recognized and occasionally bombastic pieces, such as Orff’s “Carmina Burana” or Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” that were bound to delight both newcomers and regular concertgoers.
This…
September 20th, 2017
When you disembark from the plane in Vegas, the first thing you encounter is slot machines.
The airport is a strange combination of a sh*tty casino and an overpriced mall. As you stand and wait for your $13 whopper you begin to notice the stream of outsiders filtering in -- every 15 minutes, a consistent flow of tourists from all around the globe, with dollars in their pockets, looking to make their fortune.
The next thing you notice is the oppressive, crushing weight of the heat. Being…
September 13th, 2017
Minneapolis-based rock and rollers are turning up the heat, that is to say Lutheran Heat. The band consists of Garth Blomberg on guitar and vocals; Sara Pette, guitar and vocals; Matt Engelstad, bass and vocals; and Justin Nelles on drums. Though hailing from the Twin Cities, Blomberg and Nelles are no strangers to the F-M music scene.
High Plains Reader: Where did the name Lutheran Heat come from? Second--Do you get any heat from the Lutherans on your name?
Matt Engelstad: Dave (Dave…
September 6th, 2017
I’m sure you’ve noticed that I write my fair share of articles about the music scene in Fargo-Moorhead. It is my honest opinion that many people don’t realize what an awesome music scene we have in this town. There was a time I didn’t, to be frank.
If there are people as much if not more devoted to promoting the local music scene, they’re certainly the DJs at KRFF. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Martin Beckman, who DJs “Locals on the 8” and “Thursday Night…
September 6th, 2017
On September 9, The Aquarium will erupt with the sounds of New Track City, Federal Way Washington’s very own hip-hop trio that produces their signature sound with a convergence of Jazz, Soul and Alternative. With Bem and Chi.Stone rapping and Dru on the beats, New Track City Brings the heat.
The Washington trio lays everything out on the table, and lets the chips fall where they may. Their all-in mentality produces an original sound that is clearly represented with their two online…
September 6th, 2017
Geoff Downes on the evolution of Yes
Since its inception in 1968 prog rock pioneers Yes have been breaking boundaries with complex soundscapes and experimental sounds, and their oeuvre has been constantly evolving. High Plains Reader had the opportunity to chat with Geoff Downes vocalist and keyboardist for Yes. Downes joined the band in 1980.
High Plains Reader: Is it true that you broke a Guinness World Record by playing 28 keyboards on stage?
Geoff Downes: I did that once in 1983 at a…
August 30th, 2017
Raitt on her blues beginnings and activist roots
Rated one of the top 100 guitarists of all time in 2015 and top 100 singers of all time in 2010 by Rolling Stone and with 45 years in the business, Bonnie Raitt is definitely giving ‘em, something to talk about.
High Plains Reader: You found your musical roots at an early age--can you tell us about that?
Bonnie Raitt: I grew up in a very musical family. My dad was a Broadway leading man and Broadway star. He created the role of Billy…
__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
By Bryce HaugenAdditional reporting by Alicia Underlee Nelson Five and a half years later and one mile away from George Floyd’s murder, Minneapolis is once again at the epicenter of a law enforcement-related death that has…
By Michael MillerAs the holiday season approaches, I extend Yuletide Best Wishes and a special “Weihnachten” greeting to you and your family. I would like to share with you Christmas memories from our Germans from Russia…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
By Darrell Dorganddorgan695@aol.com I’ve been digging around for information on a company called High Plains Acres. High Plains, which has a presence in Jamestown, Bismarck and five North Dakota counties, owned thousands of acres…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Greg Carlson Writer-director Naomi Jaye adapts fellow Canadian Martha Baillie’s 2009 novel “The Incident Report” as a potent and introspective character study. Retitled “Darkest Miriam,” Jaye’s movie stars Britt…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Chandler Esslinger Across North Dakota right now, a familiar conversation is resurfacing. We hear the argument that harm reduction “enables” people, that syringe access encourages drug use, that naloxone keeps people…
